For the society

Most experts agree that, in the next 10 to 15 years, genomics will transform our understanding of health and disease and will provide new methods for dealing with related problems. These issues are relevant to all of us, and the growing interest is reflected in media coverage. On the other side, the public has become more critical of science, especially where ethical aspects are involved. The application of genomics-based methods will impact such ethical and serious social challenges with respect to the principles of social solidarity in balance with the increasing personal and individual responsibility. These challenges will affect the society as a whole and especially the political and economic decision makers. To realize the potentials of toxicogenomics for health risk management it is very important that the public is involved in a fair and open dialogue about the benefits and the challenges of this emerging innovation of the risk management framework. IMBA lays a foundation for this endeavour by investigating these potentials of toxicogenomics. The project incorporates experts and stakeholders into this process and will therefore provide data that can be used in improving the indispensable future public dialogue.

For the Helmholtz Association

IMBA is a cross sectional research proposal which comprises various research areas in an innovative and creative way, i.e. risk assessment, radiobiology, toxicology, genetics, bioethics, and social sciences that complement each other, but are currently unconnected within and uncovered by the HGF programme structure. Therefore, this project is conducive for the innovative co-operation between disciplines in an area which is of marked interest from a strategic-programmatic point of view for the Helmholtz association.